Tyr
by Tilea
Summary: PWKM Request: Edgeworth owns a cat. His cat goes missing, and he requests Phoenix's help to find it. Oneshot: PxE


**Disclaimer: **Ace Attorney and it's characters are property of Capcom.

**Tyr**

Phoenix stepped up onto the porch of the red brick, two-story house near the back of a subdivision far too rich for his blood. He was certain he had the right house: he'd recognize that bright red sports car anywhere. He pressed the button beside the front door to ring the bell, able to faintly hear it resound inside the house, then gave a few knocks on the door itself for good measure. He was looking into a semi-circular window, but it was so heavily fogged that one could not actually see through it.

Phoenix stood looking around at the various plants on the porch during his brief wait before the door was unlocked and pulled open. His gaze fell upon Miles Edgeworth, dressed in a pair of black slacks and a red, long-sleeve, button-up shirt with a high collar. The defense attorney's eyes widened a little. "Edgeworth, I don't think I've ever seen you without that bulky suit on!" he exclaimed, grinning. He liked what he saw, actually.

Edgeworth's brow furrowed in a frown. "Good afternoon to you as well, Wright." He stepped aside, allowing his visitor inside. The interior of the house was just as nice as the exterior, perhaps more so. It wasn't gaudy; Edgeworth had a much better sense of style than that. Still, everything looked like it had probably cost more than everything Phoenix owned combined. "In any case, thank you for coming."

"Hey, no problem. You sounded pretty upset." Phoenix watched as Miles closed the door, now able to see just how distraught his friend was. "So, what's the matter? You said you needed help finding something important. Something to do with a case, maybe?"

The prosecutor shook his head; even on a Saturday when he had no reason to leave the house, his hair was still immaculate. "This is a personal request, Wright, not a professional one. I merely… wished for some assisting finding… finding my cat." He couldn't seem to look at his friend when he said this, staring at some point above and to the left of the defense attorney's head.

Phoenix's blue eyes went wide again. The marginally more casual style of dress, he could have expected, but Edgeworth had a pet?! Since when? "Your cat? I didn't know you had a cat."

Miles instantly became defensive. "What of it? Why would that be any business of yours? You did not know because – until now – I had no reason to share such information!"

"Woah, woah, calm down," Phoenix said, putting his hands up to stay his friend's anger. "I didn't mean anything by it, Edgeworth. I was just surprised, is all."

He watched as Miles bit his lower lip, realizing he had overreacted. Phoenix could easily tell the man was quite upset, and probably beside himself with worry. "I… apologize… Yes, I own a cat, and I believe he may have slipped out when I came home last night. I have spent hours searching, but I could see little in the dark last night, and I have had no better luck this morning."

Phoenix felt a pang of sadness at hearing this. It gave him such a warm, fuzzy feeling to think about someone as seemingly cold and unemotional as Edgeworth cuddling a furry little creature like a cat; so the thought of him losing one of the few things for which he seemed to have let his guard down was tragic. "Okay, what's the little guy's name?"

Miles frowned, apparently unsure about how knowing this information would help; most cats didn't come when called unless they felt like it. "Tyr."

Phoenix quirked an eyebrow. "Tyr? …That's a strange name for a cat."

Miles folded his arms. "Hmph. Well, Phoenix is a strange name for a human," he retorted indignantly.

Phoenix snorted a laugh. "I guess," he conceded, then gave his friend a mischievous grin, "but I do like the way it sounds when you say it."

He got what he was hoping for: a blush rose on Miles' pale cheeks and he looked away, chewing on his lower lip again. He didn't protest the obvious flirt, but he was too prideful to acknowledge it either. "L-look, will you help me search, or not?"

"Of course I will," Phoenix assured him, his grin softening to a friendly smile. "What does he look like?" At the moment, all Phoenix could picture were the grand representations of a Norse god.

The prosecutor visibly relaxed a little; clearly, he still had trouble asking for help, especially on such personal matters. "He is a small cat, around a year old. He is short-haired and black with white on his chest and paws."

"And you're sure he's not just hiding somewhere around here?" Phoenix asked with a sweep of his arm to indicate the inside of the house.

"Certain," Miles replied. "His food has not been touched since I filled it last night." He pointed to a set of bowls on the floor of the nearby kitchen; even at a distance, Phoenix could tell that one was filled to the top with little brown nibblets.

"Right then." Phoenix stepped toward the door. "Let's get cracking!"

Edgeworth gave him a funny look, but pulled open the door to walk with him back outside.

* * *

"Tyyyyr! Here, kitty, kitty, kitty!"

"Wright, he is less likely to come out if you keep yelling."

"Well, maybe you should be making a little more noise. He probably knows your voice." Phoenix reached up to wipe some sweat from his brow. They had been searching for two hours, and it was a relatively warm day. "Go check those bushes over there. I'll check these trees." They were on a vacant plot of land behind Edgeworth's property, as they had thoroughly combed every inch near the prosecutor's house. Miles was getting more and more upset by the minute, it seemed, and seeing this was making Phoenix more and more determined to find his friend's furry little companion.

Without a word, Miles moved off toward a cluster of thorny bushes a distance away while Phoenix began scanning the nearby trees, reaching up to shake branches in hopes of stirring anything hiding in the leaves. He saw a couple of squirrels dart off in fright, but he saw no other signs of life.

Then, as he came near one of the last trees, he heard something that made him momentarily freeze. It was a long, frightened yowl from above him. When he realized what it was, he looked up. Crouched on a thick branch and huddled against the trunk of the tree was a small black cat, green eyes wide and staring at him. Its mouth opened to make the sound again, and Phoenix wasn't sure if it was trying to warn him to stay away, or calling for help. He got a bit closer and was able to see the patch of white on the animal's chest and those on its paws.

"There you are!" he exclaimed, turning to look in the direction Miles had gone. "Edgeworth, I found him!" He then turned back to the cat and reached up. He couldn't quite grab the cat, but he could get his hand close. "Com'ere, little guy. It's okay. I'm gonna' take you back to your daddy."

Tyr just meowed loudly again, cringing away from the stranger's hand; Phoenix was at least grateful not to be bitten.

"Where is he?!" Miles emerged from between the nearby trees, looking almost frantic at the prospect of actually seeing his cat again.

"Up here," Phoenix said, indicating where he was reaching. "He won't come to me, though. Maybe you'll have better luck." He quickly stepped aside as Miles came to take his place, extending his arm up to the terrified creature.

"Tyr, come on…" he said, keeping his voice calm despite how panicked he looked. He had his fingers extended to the cat, who cautiously stretched his neck to carefully sniff each one. He did this for a few seconds, during which Miles did not move a muscle. Then, Tyr began to creep forward, coming away from the trunk of the tree and out along the branch toward Miles' hand. The prosecutor coaxed him onward until he was on a lower point, and then stretched up enough to where he could finally get a hold of the fuzzy creature.

Phoenix could not have stopped smiling even if he'd wanted to while he watched Miles Edgeworth – who had until recently been known as the Demon Prosecutor – cradle the puffed-up and disheveled cat against his shoulder, laying his cheek against Tyr's flank. Miles seemed to have forgotten completely about being dignified and guarded, so utterly relieved to have at last found his companion. "Let's go back…" he said, looking at Phoenix while holding tight to Tyr.

* * *

Phoenix leaned up against the wall just inside the kitchen, watching with a smile as Tyr buried his face in his food dish, instantly making a mess of the floor. Miles was sitting on the tiles, lightly stroking the cat's back while he ate, peering down at him adoringly. "Thank you, Wright. I… was beginning to think I had lost him permanently."

"Guess he won't ever do that again," Phoenix said, unable to look away from the sight before him. Miles Edgeworth, sitting on the floor, petting a cat who was gorging himself and making a huge mess. Not to mention the absence of the pristine magenta suit and frilly cravat. It was so far-flung from the image nearly everyone associated with the man: classy, dignified, cold, and untouchable. Now, he looked… vulnerable… human.

Phoenix liked what he saw; there was no denying it.

"I should hope spending a night in that tree has taught him a lesson," Miles muttered, now scratching Tyr between the ears. The cat moved his head over to lap at the water in the other bowl for a while, sloshing it everywhere, and then finally seemed to be satisfied. He turned back to face Edgeworth, who picked him up and held him against his chest.

Phoenix chuckled. "You two make an adorable pair," he remarked, watching the blush creep back onto Miles' cheeks. "I can see why you picked him. That white fur on his chest makes it look like he has his own little cravat."

The blush darkened, and Miles didn't dare look up to show Phoenix the extent of the damage he was doing. "Ah… Well… Uhm… that is…" He was interrupted as Tyr looked up and made a little chirping noise at him, clearly happy and content to be home and fed. He cuddled against his human for a time, purring loudly, and then began to wriggle, causing Miles to release him. Tyr dropped to the floor and walked over toward Phoenix, rubbing against his legs and then sauntering off to go do cat things elsewhere.

Miles watched the cat as he ventured into the living room and lay down in a spot of sunlight coming in through the windows, beginning the task of cleaning nature out of his fur. He observed only for a time, knees drawn up to his chest and arms wrapped around them, and then slowly turned to look up at Phoenix. "Really, Wright, I… owe you for this. I have taken up quite a bit of your time and energy. I do hope I did not disrupt any plans you might have had today."

Phoenix gave a derisive laugh. "Edgeworth, I was just sprawled out on the couch in sweatpants watching awful television. I think this was a much better use of my time."

Miles just gave a slight nod, looking a little apprehensive. "Still, I wish to repay you for this. It… it meant… a lot to me."

God, he was so cute when he was being all awkward about actually having feelings like a normal person! Phoenix's little grin returned, and he decided it was time to actually make a move. "Okay, I have an idea," he began, pushing himself off the wall to stand up straight. "You let me kiss you, and we'll call it even."

Gray eyes widened as Miles stared up at his visitor, his cheeks now a proper rose color. He was clearly struggling with his decision, whether to give in to what he was so obviously feeling, or to keep his walls up and scold Phoenix for such a bold suggestion. After a time, he swallowed and took in a deep breath. "A-all right…"

Phoenix felt his heart soar as he watched Miles reach up to grab the edge of the counter, using it to aid him in standing up smoothly. He made a show of dusting himself off and straightening out his clothing, clearly stalling while he mentally prepared himself. Phoenix approached him while he did this and placed his hands on the prosecutor's shoulders, feeling him jerk slightly in surprise, for he hadn't been paying attention. When Miles looked up at him, Phoenix leaned in to capture his lips.

It was a relatively soft kiss, dry and meant only to test the waters. Phoenix could feel just how tense Miles was beneath his fingers, but his muscles slowly began to relax when he likely realized this wasn't as unpleasant as he had apparently feared. Phoenix wanted to keep going: Miles' lips were so soft and tasted wonderful, but he did not want to presume too much and slowly pulled away, a smile turning up the corners of his mouth.

Miles stood still, gaze locked with Phoenix's as his mind worked to register and then analyze what had just happened and how he felt about it. Phoenix waited on pins and needles, his heart hammering somewhere near his Adam's apple.

Then, slowly and without a word, Miles leaned in to return the kiss, tentatively letting his arms come to rest around Phoenix's waist. The defense attorney would have jumped for joy had he not been kissing the biggest crush he'd ever had, and he was quick to take control of that kiss again, letting go of much of his restraint. Phoenix gave Miles a light shove and backed him up against the refrigerator, pinning him there with his own body and eagerly deepening the kiss. He felt no resistance from the prosecutor, so he kept their lips locks, relishing the feel and taste of it all.

Phoenix had no clue for how long the kiss lasted, but when they had to pull apart for air, he felt it was far too soon. Miles' face was so beautifully flushed, his soft lips parted as he lightly panted. The sight of him made Phoenix want to do it all over again, and he resolved that he was going to right after he got a little air in his lungs.

"We're being watched…"

It took Phoenix a moment to register what had just been said. He blinked in confusion, then saw that Miles' gaze had left his face and was fixed somewhere behind him. Slowly, he turned to see at what the prosecutor was looking.

Tyr was standing on the threshold where the carpet from the living room ended at the tile of the kitchen, big green eyes staring at up them with the infinite curiosity of a young cat. He meowed when Phoenix looked at him, tail upright with the tip lazily flicking from side to side. Phoenix grinned. "It's rude to stare, you know," he said in a playfully scolding tone. Tyr merely perked his ears and cocked his head to the side, one eye narrowing slightly. The quizzical look was so affective it made Phoenix laugh.

A tiny smile was resting on Miles' lips. "Perhaps he is wondering why you seem to have me trapped," he suggested, still firmly held between the fridge and Phoenix's body.

Phoenix turned back around, smirking slightly. "Oh, he's got no reason to worry. He'll have you back the moment I'm finished with you." With that, he dived right back in for another prolonged, passionate kiss.


End file.
